On these Uniworld river cruises, the itineraries are a mystery

Many cruise passengers choose their trip by itinerary, but on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises' new Mystery Cruises, the unknown is part of the adventure.

Guests only get a few hints as to where they are going before their trip, such as letters with clues in the form of riddles that the river cruise line mails to guests and a list of what to pack. But the itineraries remain, well, a mystery.

The cruise line launched the sailings in June partly as a way "bring back the fun of travel" in the wake of the pandemic, Uniworld president and CEO Ellen Bettridge told USA TODAY. Uniworld recently announced two new Mystery Cruises taking place in June and July 2023.

In addition to getting passengers excited about travel, Bettridge said the line aimed to create a stress-free experience by taking care of all the details travelers might otherwise fret about. "If you don't know where you're going, there's nothing you need to really worry about," she said. "Like, you don't have to plan for anything."

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Here is what travelers should (and can) know about the cruises.

Where will Uniworld's Mystery Cruises go?

The first passengers, who embarked on their voyages this year, did not find out their initial destination until they got their airline tickets, which they purchased through the cruise line, but Uniworld is sharing more information with passengers up front ahead of the 2023 sailings.

The June cruise will sail round-trip from Amsterdam, departing June 18, and the voyage departing July 7 will start in Nice, France and end in Lyon, according to the line's website. Both sailings are 10 days long. Air travel was included with the 2022 fare but is not included for 2023, so passengers have more flexibility before and after the cruises, Bettridge said.

What can passengers expect on board?

Uniworld has not released many specifics about the 2023 cruises, but on on the first cruise in June of this year, the line's 361-foot-long River Queen ship visited France, Germany and Switzerland via the Moselle and Rhine rivers, according to an itinerary provided by the line.

Bettridge, who hosted the first sailing, said the line packed the itinerary with "bucket list experiences," some of which Uniworld had never offered before. The line unveiled activities as they went, and guests were able to visit places such as the Porsche Museum and factory in Stuttgart, Germany, the Jungfraujoch mountain saddle in the Bernese Alps, and a visit to the Black Forest with a lunch that included Black Forest cake.

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On board there was live music, a magic show, and more.

"A lot of (the passengers) brought the clues with them on the trip, and then they were trying to figure out when that clue was revealed," Bettridge said. "They really got into it."

What else do travelers need to know?

The June 2023 cruise starts at $6,999 and the July sailing starts at $7,399, based on double occupancy, according to the line's website. Those fares include all food and drinks, ground transportation, and excursions.

Because of their small size, Uniworld's ships cannot accommodate wheelchairs or scooters moving throughout the vessels, Bettridge said. However, there are elevators on the majority of its fleet as well as walking sticks available for land excursions, and the line hosts "a wide range of guests with different physical needs."

She also noted that the ships can dock close to land, allowing for easier boarding and disembarkation than on larger ocean vessels. Bettridge encouraged passengers to alert the line to any special requirements ahead of time.

Travelers can book by calling Uniworld's reservations line at 1-800-257-2407.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: On Uniworld's Mystery Cruises, guests learn the itinerary as they go